Baker College honors grads June 5 and 14 in Flint

Baker College will honor 1,674 graduates in Flint this month. The 2015 commencement ceremony for Baker College Online/Center for Graduate Studies will be held 7 p.m., Friday, June 5, at The Whiting, 1241 E. Kearsley St., Flint. The commencement ceremony for Baker College of Flint is 1 p.m., Sunday, June 14, at Perani Arena & Event Center, 3501 Lapeer Road, Flint.

“While graduation signals the end of a course of study, the word commencement means beginning, and that is what the class of 2015 is doing,” said Wen Hemingway, MBA, CTP, Baker College of Flint president. “The knowledge and skills that these graduates acquired at Baker College will help set them on meaningful and rewarding career paths as they begin the next chapter of their lives.”

The first two students earning associate degrees in the new photonics and laser technology program will graduate. The program, developed in response to industry demand, was the first educational program of its kind in Michigan and one of a handful in the country.

Baker College of Flint commencement speakers

The keynote speaker is Dr. Mona Hardas, a board-certified obstetrics and gynecology physician. The student speaker is Nicole Boufford, of Pinckney, who will graduate with a physical therapist assistant associate degree.

Hardas is a well-respected physician in the Flint area and an ardent advocate for women and children’s health, education and rights issues. She is in private practice, teaches at Michigan State University’s College of Human Medicine, is the director of robotic surgery at Hurley Medical Center, and actively participates in resident training at Flint’s three medical centers. She also volunteers for multiple medical and community organizations, including holding board memberships or other leadership positions with the Genesee County and Michigan State medical societies, as well as Whaley Children’s Center and the Flint Institute of Arts.

Boufford’s message of choosing to accept challenges and striving to be employable won her the honor of being the student commencement speaker. She has also demonstrated leadership, empathy towards others and a positive attitude throughout her coursework at Baker College.

Accolades

An outstanding student in each of Baker College of Flint’s career programs will be recognized at the commencement ceremony.

Four Baker College faculty and staff are among this year’s graduates. Earning associate degrees in automotive restoration technology are Nathan Brockman, of Lapeer, adjunct faculty, and Bobbi Long, of Merced, California, staff member. Earning bachelor’s degrees in general studies are Greg Kent, of Caro, adjunct faculty, and Rebecca Richmond, of Birch Run, practicum coordinator for the medical assistant program.

The largest private college in Michigan, Baker College is a not-for-profit higher education institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. It serves more than 28,000 students on multiple campuses and online. Baker grants certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in more than 150 programs across diverse academic fields, including business, health sciences, engineering, information technology, education and human services. An impressive 97 percent of available graduates are employed. Every Baker graduate receives Lifetime Employment Assistance—free and forever. Baker is a pioneer in online education and offers students the option of completing a degree 100 percent online, without ever visiting a campus. For information, visit www.baker.edu or follow Baker College on Twitter, @bakercollege, or on Facebook, www.facebook.com/bakercollege.